Leaves of Konoha
by Afalstein
Summary: Snippets from the lives of different Leaves in the Forest of Konoha. NEW: The preparations for War begin. Spoilers for Naruto 515
1. The Greenest of the Leaves

**The Greenest of the Leaves**

* * *

It was not his fault. He had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Kakashi had been quietly minding his own business, simply reading in the park, as was his custom. True, he should have been preparing for the mission the Yondaime had assigned him for, but the point is that Kakashi did nothing to start the whole thing. He had done absolutely NOTHING to incite the young jounin who leapt forward to confront him.

"Aha!" Exclaimed the jounin, eyes narrowing as if making an important discovery. "I recognize you! You are Hatake Kakashi, the Copycat ninja!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. He was really getting tired of that title and of all the fame and adoration that seemed to accompany it. He simply nodded.

"Aha!" The jounin drew back and raised a pair of enormous bushy eyebrows. "Then I challenge you!"

Wait. What?

Putting down his book, Kakashi looked at the man, noting the bowl haircut, the strong jaw, and the (slightly disturbing) green spandex suit. "You wish to challenge me?"

"I insist upon it!"

"… why?"

"Because you are Hatake Kakashi, the copycat ninja, and you are destined to become my eternal rival!" The man clenched his fists. "I have heard much of you and determined you a worthy rival. Therefore…" He drew a deep breath. "…I, Maito Gai, challenge you!"

"Maito Gai?" Kakashi could not recall such a name.

"I am the Green Devil of the Leaf Village! The Konoha Whirlwind! I am the wind rushing through the trees, the fury of passion descending upon the enemies of Konoha and her allies! My body is filled with the explosion of youth and the will of fire! And I am your eternal rival!" He finished dramatically.

"I see." Kakashi's face didn't change. Dimly he recalled hearing Asuma mention this "Green Devil" as an incredibly enthusiastic taijutsu expert. Apparently, the man was attempting to make a name for himself by defeating Kakashi. It shouldn't really surprise him, he supposed. Plenty of glory hounds out there.

Still, it was the first time in a long while that anyone had dared to actually CHALLENGE him. As in, not react with fear or awe to his presence. Kakashi rather liked the change.

Well, best to get it over with. Heaving a sigh, Kakashi stood to his feet, putting his book away. "Very well. As challenged party, I choose the style of combat, right?"

"That is correct, my eternal rival!"

Kakashi winced. That was quickly getting old. "Very well. No seals." He didn't want to kill the poor fool, and however much a taijutsu expert this man was, Kakashi could always bring out the Sharingan to keep up with him.

"Aha, we are well matched, my eternal rival!" Gai rubbed his hands. "Taijutsu combat is the most youthful method of competing! Your confidence in your prowess is daunting, but I shall defeat you, or I shall run two thousand laps around Konoha!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes again. "Whatever." He readied himself in the traditional stance. "Begin."

Looking back, Kakashi decided that he should probably have exposed his Sharingan before starting. That way, he could probably have avoided the enormous beating he received in the first five minutes of the fight. Or in any case, he would have had some idea of what exactly happened. In later years, all Kakashi could remember was getting hit from every conceivable angle faster than humanly possible. And of getting a solid roundhouse kick to the face that sent him flying backwards

Somewhere in the two seconds he had flying through the air before hitting the tree, Kakashi reached up and lifted his headband. Seeing the tree, he braced for it and bounced off quite gracefully, landing in a battle-ready stance. He looked his opponent full in the face.

"Aha! The Sharingan!" Maito Gai's face lit up. "I am pleased you are fully exerting yourself, my eternal rival, but it will do you no good. Yosh!" He dashed forward.

Kakashi had no time to consider what his 'eternal rival' meant by "Yosh," for Sharingan or no Sharingan, Gai was still disturbingly fast. And strong. A Sharingan meant you could see your enemies moves and analyze them, it didn't necessarily mean you could avoid them. At first, it was all Kakashi could do to match his opponent's movements. After a while, though, he fell in with the rhythm of the thing, and soon he was giving as good as he got.

A full roundhouse kick sent Gai flying. Immediately he jumped up again. "Your prowess is well earned, my eternal rival! I am indeed pleased, I would expect nothing less. However…" he reached into his knapsack, "…I too have my special weapon."

Nunchuks? The man was planning to match his Sharingan with nunchuks?

Apparently so, Kakashi decided several moments later, while dodging a flurry of sticks and chain. And it wasn't a bad plan, either. Sure, he wasn't getting pounded like before, but he took a number of hits nonetheless. And there was no WAY he could get any substantial blows of his own in. Perhaps Chidori… but no, this was a match, not a duel.

Finally he hit upon an idea. He leapt backwards, and as Gai charged at him, roaring, he looked his 'eternal rival' straight in the eye.

Gai froze in mid-run and toppled over.

With a sigh of relief, Kakashi lowered his headband over the Sharingan. He had only recently learned genjutsu, and he hadn't been sure if that would work. Not his favorite method, certainly, but it had done the job.

Gai came to life with a groan. "You… said… taijutsu only." He whispered.

"I said no seals." Kakashi shrugged. "Sharingan genjutsu doesn't use any."

Incredibly, a smile broke across Gai's face. "Ah… very clever, my eternal rival."

* * *

Strange as the incident was, Kakashi shrugged it off and finally got around to preparing himself for the mission. True to form, he arrived at the gate a few moments too late. "Yo." He waved to the two irate jounin. "Sorry I'm late. There was this crazy serial killer, and I had to…"

"Save it, Hatake." Jiraiya grinned. Kakashi blinked in surprise. Though the Sannin still occasionally helped out, he did not usually lead teams. "You're always late these days. I don't know where Minato got the idea that you were this picky punctual guy." He scratched his chin. "Now that leaves just the last member of our team. Funny, he's usually on time…"

"Another?" Kakashi blinked. Usually, he was the last to arrive.

"He should arrive shortly." Stated the other jounin—Genma, as Kakashi recalled. "Ran into him just outside. Was a little busy at the moment, but he should be done by now."

"Done with what?"

The answer was cut off by a sudden green blur and a gust of wind and suddenly, standing in front of them, was an exhausted version of the bowl-haired psycho Kakashi had met earlier.

"Ah, Gai." Jiraiya nodded. "You're the last. All set to go?"

Gai made a valiant effort to salute. "Yosh!"

"Good." Jiraiya nodded. "We've got a long run ahead of us, and we need to move fast." He started to move away, and then stopped. "Oh, and before I forget… I remember you saying how much you wanted to meet Hatake Kakashi."

To the end of his days, Kakashi would swear there was an evil glint in the Sage's eyes as he pulled Kakashi forward. "Well, it's your lucky day. Kakashi, meet Gai. Gai, meet Kakashi. There's no real time for proper introductions now, of course, but don't worry…" Jiraiya snickered. "We'll be together for WEEKS."

Kakashi could do nothing but stare in petrified fear as a pair of bushy eyebrows came up and widened in surprise.

"YOSH!" The green-clad madman sprang to his feet in sudden enthusiasm. "I am happy, my eternal rival, of this chance to prove the undying power of my youth! I shall kill three times as many ninjas as you on this mission, and if not, I will do five thousand upside-down one-handed push-ups!"

Kakashi felt a bead of sweat roll down his head. He had a feeling this was going to be a LONG mission.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey! You know what're great things? REVIEWS! Reviews come from the laughter of little children. REviews are what help little angels to fly. Every time a reader submits a review, a puppy dog gets a treat.

So... for the puppies. **Review**.

Back on topic. I've always wondered how Kakashi felt when he first met Gai and their "eternal rivalry" started. Obviously it would all be Gai's doing, with Kakashi pretty much just confused at this bizarre creature, much like when Sasuke meets Lee. Still, I have to think that Kakashi might be vaguely interested in it, and even somewhat impressed.

As far as the fight goes... yes, I realize that realistically, Kakashi would probably beat Gai into next week. But recall, this is a young Kakashi, and a part of me has to think there's a REASON why Kakashi respects Gai, however marginally. I like to think their skills are more or less on the same level, at this point in their lives at least. Plus, I really, really like Gai.

Cover Credit goes to OsirisMaru of Devart for his picture "Konoha."


	2. The Burning of the Leaves

**The Burning of the Leaves**

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* * *

**

Why him? What did he ever do to deserve this ?

The man's form stood dark against the sky, lit from below by the dancing flames. Beneath his feet, the toad shifted irritably as if impatient by the delay. On every side, the man could see the twisted remains of what had once been a great village. A place where children laughed and played.

Why him? He had not asked for this. His life had been dedicated to eliminating these things. It had been his dream, his purpose, to find an end to death and destruction. He had not deserved this. Had he pursued peace all his life only to have it end in war?

Why? Why him?

Why bring this upon him? Was this all he had been born for, to take care of a demon, to seal it away? All that he had done—the war, the school, the village—was it all for nothing? A beautiful new wife, and a blossoming child… he had just obtained these things, and now they were to be ripped from him. Could not Fate have waited until he had had a chance to enjoy them?

He sighed. It was pointless to speculate. He could not tell why he had been born into such an age, why time should play such a cruel game on him. No one could choose the events of the world, anymore than they could choose where and how they were born. They could only choose how to deal with those events.

And he was the Hokage. He was the Leaf Village.

It was his duty to protect the Village from the dangers of his days. It would be up to his son to deal with those of the next.

The bundle in his arms shifted slightly and wailed. Minato Namikaze touched the child's cheek gently with his finger. "Naruto." He whispered.

* * *

**A/N**: I suppose I should have put in spoiler warnings. Ah well.

So. I'm not terribly new to the fandom, but this is the first Naruto story I've posted, so I'm anxious to see what you think. Obviously this is a character we don't see much of, but I'm interested to know if you like how I did it. So Review! Reviews are wonderful things that everybody loves!

This may or may not be a series of one-shots that I may or may not update sporadically, depending on the reaction. I really shouldn't be writing this... heaven knows I have at least two other stories that need to be finished and schoolwork to boot... but this was written already and I wanted to know how it was. So here you are.


	3. Soft Leaves

**Soft Leaves**

* * *

Temari did not, as a rule, sit around in parks staring up at the sky. That was partly because there were few parks in Suna, partly because she rarely had enough spare time to just sit around. Mostly, however, it was because she had little interest in lying in one spot looking at absolutely nothing, even if it helped her to think. Most problems she ran into didn't require that much thought.

But as it happened, Konoha had plenty of parks, and the completion of the mission had left Temari with plenty of time, and she had run at last into a problem that DID require that much thought. So she lay in the park, staring into space as she tried to puzzled it out.

It was driving her crazy.

A part of her had felt satisfaction at taking the Konoha mission. Granted, it had been Baki's decision (With some input from Gaara), not hers , but she had still been somewhat pleased to hear the news, and a little interested also. She had always felt a slight curiosity about the Leaf, both as Sand's major competitor and one of their few allies. On one level she disdained them as softies who were coddled by the Fire Nation, on another she wondered how they always managed to beat out Suna.

She had, of course, been there during the Chunin Exams, but as she had been on a mission then, that had hardly counted. And actually, that had only heightened her curiousity. The Leaf WAS a bunch of softies—that stupid weapons girl and her emotional teammate, for instance—yet they were surprisingly tough. The emotional eyebrows kid had been surprising enough, but then the way Kankuro had been handled by the bug user, and Gaara by the idiot Uzumaki brat had just blown her away.

And of course, the idiot who had defeated HER.

The Chunin exams had really only increased her curiosity about Konoha, especially since, in the aftermath, the NEW Hokage (some drunken gambler) had instantly struck up talks for a new treaty with the Sand, as if the whole betrayal-to-Sound thing had never happened.

Konoha. Buncha tough softies. People who would let themselves get backstabbed, beat the guy who did it, and then turn around and offer to help them.

No, she didn't understand Konoha. So when she had heard Baki order them to go help the Leaf nins, she had grinned inside. A chance not only to learn more about them, but also to make up for her humiliating performance in the Chunin exams. The fact that one of the Leaf nins had been the one responsible FOR that humiliating performance was just an unexpected bonus.

Temari smirked as she remembered the expression on his face. At the very least, she had shown HIM who was the more powerful of the two.

From there on, though, the trip had gone downhill. The chunin (apparently he had been promoted, though _why _you would promote someone who forfeited a match was beyond her) had insisted on finding all his teammates and had gone straight to the hospital upon their arrival. On one level, Temari understood that. The Hokage had been at the hospital, after all, so of course he would go report to her. That was why Temari had volunteered to accompany him. After all, they needed to report to the Hokage also, and neither Kankuro nor Gaara were exactly… diplomatic. It just made sense for her to go with the Chunin.

What didn't make sense was why the Hokage, of all people, was doing medical work, and doing especial work on THEIR TEAM. Konoha had chosen a medic for their leader? And she had nothing better to do than tend to a beat-down genin team? Perhaps that chunin had been someone important… but no, that was impossible.

The chunin's behavior hadn't made sense either. He had delivered a hasty report to the Hokage (Tsunade, Temari remembered now), and then simply sat down to wait for the treatment of his team. Temari, who couldn't exactly wander around in a foreign village without an escort, had been forced to wait also.

And then she'd simply been IGNORED. She'd sat there for the better part of an hour or so, watching this spineless ninja in front of her fidget endlessly. When she finally did manage to draw him into a conversation, all she'd gotten out of him was that he hadn't enjoyed the mission, felt guilty over his teammate's injuries, and basically had decided to give up being a ninja.

The idea had disgusted Temari. As curious as she had been to learn more about Konoha, she had also been curious to learn more about the odd genin (now chunin) who had defeated her. After all, in order to do that he must've been… well, STRONG. Sure, he'd been lazy and dull, she could tell that much, but she'd expected him to at least be impressive on some level.

Instead, she found some weak, cowardly child who didn't even have the training to take a few teammate casualties in stride.

She'd been disappointed, and she let him know that. But he hadn't even responded. She'd thrown jab after jab at him, and when she flat-out accused him of being a coward, he just got up and walked away.

But then…

Temari's brow furrowed as she thought over the most confusing part. The man had been his father, she was sure of that. Just the general slouch, the drawl of his voice, and even the annoying preoccupation with men and women marked him out as that.

No, that wasn't what bothered her. What bothered her was why any ninja's father would bother to go to the hospital for his son (Or, as she later learned, for a third-rate genin who was dying of malnutrition), and then, having shown up and heard his son's intentions of giving up the shinobi lifestyle, would just stand there and TALK him into staying.

Then again, maybe that was normal parental behavior in Konoha. It might even be in Suna, though she highly doubted it. Temari hadn't known her father very well, but she doubted any other father in Suna would simply take news like that sitting down. Refusing to be a shinobi was tantamount to treason in a village with so few resources. Certainly none of them would just stand and talk as if the matter did not concern them at all.

And the things the man had said! About WHY one was shinobi!

Temari had… well, she hadn't really thought about the reasons one was a shinobi. It was just what you did, especially if you were in the Kazekage's family. But if she had ever been asked, she would have said it was to serve your village, to earn money, and to kick ass. (And have fun, too).

She would never have considered the reasons the man gave. Protecting friends? That was why you fought? She could agree with his initial argument—there would always be missions, there would always be danger. But to her, that had only meant that you needed to be strong so you could survive. Never that you could be strong so your friends could survive.

It was… intriguing. A new kind of toughness, really, where your strength affected more than yourself. Where not only your duty compelled you to serve your village, but also your desire. It was odd.

And as she'd watched, she'd realized she was seeing it in action, right in front of her. This man, this… FATHER… was barely doing anything to his son. If this had been her father, speaking to her and calling her a coward, she would have simply hissed at him and walked away. But this chunin, for all his weakness and laziness stayed, listened, and agreed. Not because he was being forced to, but because he wanted to. Cried, even, and as much as Temari wanted to sneer at that, she found she couldn't.

Because the boy wasn't crying from any threat of danger or any pain. He was crying because he had not served his village to his full capacity. Because he wanted to be stronger than he was.

It was crazy.

It was stupid.

It was puzzling.

No, she didn't understand Konoha, Temari decided as she picked herself up off the ground. But she very much wanted to learn more.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah. In case anyone was wondering, pairings will most likely NOT be part of this series. I have my own definitive ideas on what pairings will happen and what pairings I WANT to happen, but until the manga makes it clear I'm gonna stay out of that region. ShikaTema, though, I feel pretty comfortable with, manga-wise, and in any case this is nothing more than a reflective piece. So it's good.

Say, while you're here, why don't you** review**? I'd love some more ideas for future chapters, though I have plenty already. And if anyone's got some critiques of the other chapters, I'd love to hear them so I could brush up my writing.


	4. Bare Branches

***Manga Spoilers**

**Bare Branches**

* * *

It took half of the trip for Suigetsu to finally bring the subject up.

"So, boss." He coughed. "About this Naruto guy…"

"Yes?" Sasuke did not turn his head.

"What's the history with you and him? He was chasing us on the one Itachi mission, I got that, but back there Disco-Face was spouting off like he was somebody you used to know real well." Suigetsu rubbed his nose. "So what's the deal?"

"That is no part of your concern." Sasuke replied, in a tone meant to close the conversation.

Apparently unimpressed, Suigetsu snorted. "Seeing as how the guy likes to chase us and is, apparently, strong enough to take out Pein, I think it darn well is 'part of my concern.' I mean, don't get me wrong, I like a challenge as well as the next guy, and I'm all for this 'storm the Kage summit' idea, but if I'm being chased by some god-level shinobi with a vendetta on my boss' head, I'd like to at least know why. So what's the deal?"

Sasuke did not immediately reply. Karin, jumping along directly behind him, bit her lip nervously. What was Suigetsu thinking, talking to Sasuke like that? He'd kill them all.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Sasuke clearing his throat. "A team." He said, curtly. "We were on the same team… back in Konoha."

"Wow. Really? Same team that killed Zabuza, right?" Sasuke gave a nod and Suigetsu resumed his pondering. "Guess that explains it then. What'd ya do, kill his master?"

"No."

"Oh. Family?"

"No."

"Oh. Girlfriend?"

"No."

"Oh." A short pause. "Boyfriend?"

"Suigetsu!" Karin exploded from the rear.

"I'm just saying...!"

"No." Sasuke closed his eyes.

"Oh. Okay." Another short pause. "So… _Do_ you know why he's chasing you?"

This received a long silence from Sasuke. "No, not really." he said finally. "I've certainly given him enough warnings. He's trying to bring me back to the village."

"Oh, now I get it." Suigetsu laughed. "He's one of those 'loyal leaf nins.' Love killing those guys. All about the village, huh? And you betray the village, so now he's got this vendetta to either kill you or bring you back. Man, those guys crack me up with their…"

"No, actually." Sasuke's voice cut in rather icily. "I didn't say he was trying to kill me, I said he was trying to bring me back to the village."

"Right, to face trial. Just doesn't want to kill you outside?"

"No." By now, Sasuke's voice had a decided edge. "I mean he doesn't want to kill me, period. In the village or out of it."

A long silence greeted this remark. Suigetsu and Karin exchanged glances, while Juugo merely looked thoughtful. Up ahead, Zetsu smirked and went a little faster. Sasuke, predictably, said nothing.

Finally, Suigetsu spoke up. "And this guy thinks he's your enemy."

"No." Sasuke closed his eyes. "He thinks he's my friend."

* * *

**A/N**: So.... this was initially not supposed to appear for some weeks yet. But it occurred to me that this has a slightly ambivalent edge to it that fits in with recent events in the manga. Is Naruto's constant pursuit of Sasuke really a good idea?

It's just something I wondered about. How does Sasuke feel about Naruto's unrelenting chase? For that matter, how does Team Hebi/Taka feel about Naruto's chase? A number of these people just barely know Sasuke as a former Konoha nin. They don't know about his freinds or any of his history, they only know about Sasuke and his obsession with his brother. So you have to wonder, how do they feel about all these Konoha nin that keep popping up trying to catch Sasuke. Suigetsu strikes me as the only one that would even ask, as Karin is too infatuated and Juugo too obedient to ask.


	5. Autumn Leaves

**Autumn Leaves**

* * *

"So..." Tazuna hesitated. "Why orange?"

The spiky-haired blonde glanced up. "Huh? What's that, old man?"

"Why are you wearing orange?" The carpenter looked him up and down. "I thought ninjas all wore black."

"What? Don't be ridiculous!" Naruto grinned. "That's just the ANBU. You didn't think we all dressed like them, did you"

The other hesitated. "Well…"

"Geez, can you imagine how boring that would be?" Naruto folded his hands behind his head. "A whole city of people, dressed all in black. Boring. Not to mention morbid. Aren't you supposed to wear black to funerals or something?"

"Well, er… I've heard that's what you do, yes."

"Well why'd you think we'd wear black all the time? That'd be weird." Scratching his nose, Naruto looked up at the man. "I mean, I guess some of the genins wear black a lot, but that's just because they're emo and stuff. Or because they think it makes them look cool." Naruto made a face, then grinned suddenly. "Hey, have you heard the joke about emo ninjas? Why do…"

"Okay, so you don't all wear black." Tazuna cut him off, apparently not desirous to hear. "But even so, why orange, of all things? It makes my eyes hurt just to look at you."

"Don't diss the orange!" Naruto glared at the carpenter.

"Okay, okay." Tazuna held up his hands placatingly. "But why do you like the color?"

That seemed to puzzle Naruto, and for a few rare moments, there was silence. He rubbed his nose, scratched his head, and finally shrugged. "I dunno. I just do." He glanced admiringly over himself. "I mean, look at this coat! How is this thing NOT awesome? I'll bet you can see me from a mile away!"

Tazuna stared at him. "And that's… a good thing?"

"Of course it is, baka." Naruto stuck out his tongue at the man. "I need to stand out SOMEHOW."

"I somehow don't think that's a problem." Tazuna replied, eyeing the blond hair, blue eyes, and oh-so-distinctive whisker marks. "Aren't… ninja's supposed to… I don't know… blend in?"

"Why would we do that?"

"Well, you need to hide, don't you? It seems like that would be hard, in a get-up like that."

"Hard for most ninjas, maybe." Naruto huffed. "But I'm AWESOME. I don't need to worry about stuff like that!"

Tazuna decided not to comment on that. He wasn't the best judge of ninjas, though it seemed pretty evident to him that this team was woefully lacking in the art of ninja-ness. (Especially their teacher, who seemed completely out of it most of the time.) But ninja or not, he very much doubted that this child he was talking to had as much potential as he pretended.

"Orange is cool!" Geez, that kid had a loud voice. "You never forget it, and it makes it real easy to find your coat if you need to grab it in a hurry. Plus, if somebody tries to steal your coat, you can find it right away!" Naruto folded his hands behind his head and nodded triumphantly. "And everybody likes it. When I wear this coat, people stare at me for blocks. It's awesome."

"Oh? Why's that so great?" Tazuna eyed the trees warily. He could've sworn he saw some movement up there.

"Because!" Naruto glanced up at him. "It helps them remember. It tells them: Remember this kid, because this kid is Naruto Uzumaki, and he's far awesomer than any of you will EVER be! Don't look down on him, don't ignore him, 'cause this is the kid that's gonna be Hokage!"

"Hokage?" Tazuna arched a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yeah." Nodded Naruto confidently. "I'm gonna be Hokage. And everybody's gonna pay attention to me, and have to acknowledge me and stuff. They try to pretend like its not gonna happen, and ignore me and everything, because they think I'm like dirt." The boy's eyes narrowed momentarily and Tazuna caught the hint of a snarl. "But they're wrong. I'm not dirt. I'm not just anybody." He looked up with a glint in his eyes. "And to show them they're wrong, I got this awesome coat. To remind them that I'm not nobody. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage and the most awesome ninja ever! And when they see this…" He pointed proudly at the coat. "They know it. Because Orange is awesome like that."

Tazuna blinked.

_What kind of things do they DO to these kids?_

* * *

**A/N: **Assert your existence! Review the story and let the writer know you're more than a number on his traffic page! Yell, scream, praise, troll, whatever! Just a few short lines will go an immense ways toward defining yourself in the wide world of .

So yeah. This is the nearly obligatory author's-opinion-of-Naruto's-coat piece. Orange, as everybody knows, is perhaps the most ridiculous and insensible thing for a ninja to wear. On some levels, Lee's green spandex makes more sense, because it can at least claim to blend in with the trees. What's the subconscious reason? Naruto's supposed to resemble a fox (ref. the whiskers.), and foxes are orange. What's the real reason? Kishi likes Goku from DBZ, and Goku wore orange. This, in my opinion, is the reason Naruto himself knows. Naruto's important, so he dresses like he is.

I've never written Tazuna, by the way. If anyone's upset with how he's depicted here, I can just say that I started out with some old man who was talking with Naruto, and decided Tazuna would be a good one.


	6. Twigs Trembling in the Wind

**Twigs Trembling in the Wind**

* * *

At times, Zenkou wondered what on earth he had been thinking to leave his home and come to Konoha. He usually concluded that he had not been thinking very hard, or at least had not been thinking about the consequences of opening a shop in a ninja village.

Not that ninjas were bad. Or Konoha, for that matter. Konoha was a wonderful village, well-protected and full of excellent people, many of them very good ninjas. Ninjas were among some of the most agreeable people he had ever met. He liked ninjas as people.

Ninjas as customers, however, made him sweat.

Whenever a ninja walked into his shop, no matter how friendly the man was or how well Zenkou knew him, the shopkeeper would instantly feel helpless. Ninjas were, after all, stealth ops. Trained in seeing the unseen. Trained in BEING the unseen. They knew a hundred hand tricks and distraction techniques to fool you. Everytime a ninja walked in, Zenkou was faced with the fact that this man could steal him blind and he would never catch him. The knowledge that even if he did catch him, the man could simply twiddle his fingers and turn the shopkeeper into a ball of fire didn't help either.

Take the boy slinking around his shop right now, for instance. The kid could hardly be 10, perhaps 11 at most, but that didn't change the fact that he could run up walls and shoot lightning from his rear. Honestly, if the kid walked up to the counter and demanded all the money in the register, Zenkou wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.

Sure, the sign on the front said _No Ninja Techniques Allowed_. But that had about as much meaning as the _No Smoking_ sign outside the Hokage's office. Even if Zenkou could prove the techniques were being used, he wouldn't be able to do a doggone thing about it.

There! That kid had just… no, he hadn't. Or had he? Zenkou wasn't sure. It'd looked like…

"Excuse me."

Zenkou jumped nearly two feet in the air. Standing just behind him, perfectly straight and attentive, was a man in a long black cloak and a porcelain mask. His eyes glowed red.

"Excuse me, sir." Said the ANBU, addressing the now white-faced boy. "But you are under arrest, on charges of stealing from a civilian and exercising ninja techniques in a forbidden sector." The red eyes narrowed momentarily. "Will you cooperate?"

The boy moved into a fighting stance. Zenkou winced and prepared to dive behind the counter for another store-destroying rumble…

And suddenly the boy collapsed.

"Arrest complete." The ANBU intoned, walking over and rifling through the boy's pockets. He handed Zenkou several small (but valuable) items and then stood, slinging the boy over one shoulder. "You may be required to testify." He informed the shopkeeper. "Good day."

There was an explosion of smoke, and the two ninjas were gone.

With a wearied sigh, Zenkou stood to his feet and dusted off the counter. Well at least that was over. Perhaps now things could quiet down…

"Zenkou-san!" A white-haired child with red streaks on his face called out as he entered the shop, followed closely by a blonde and a ghostly-pale boy. "Konichiwa!"

The shopkeeper nearly collapsed.

* * *

**A/N: **Make this Christmas special! Send your favorite writer a review! Or, failing that, write me one! Reviews are the greatest gift any reader can give to a writer.

So this is partly inspired by a scene in the anime where Naruto tries to cheat on a carnival game using his techniques, and the shopkeeper tells him he can't. It's interesting if you think about it--business in a ninja town can't be very good. Unless the shopkeepers are former ninjas themselves, there's no POSSIBLE way they can be sure they're not being cheated or stolen from. If Naruto was good enough, he could probably steal all the ramen in Irchiraku's without the owner even noticing. But he's a blockhead (and a hero) so he doesn't.

Plus, there are probably ANBU waiting all over the place to pick up on stuff like that. In case anybody was puzzled, this scene takes place in a much younger Konoha, as evidenced by the arrival of Jiraiya and co at the end there. So the Uchiha are still in control of the police


	7. Leaves Laughing in the Wind

**Leaves Laughing in the Wind**

* * *

Hiashi froze when he heard the laughter.

Laughter did not often come from the Hyuuga compound, or at least had not for some time. It was a quiet place, a solemn house, a refuge from the noise and bustle of the world outside. Nor were the stoic, dour Hyuugas given to laughter. Laughter had not been heard there for many years.

So when Hiashi heard the faint laughter, he paused, turned his head, and after a moment's contemplation, strode off to investigate. He could have easily summoned a branch family member to look into it, but it was hardly a matter warranting such action. And something about the laugh compelled Hiashi to look into it himself. It… reminded him of something.

He traced the laughter (almost a giggle, really), through the long quiet halls until he stood before the private garden. There, amidst the lilies, were his two daughters.

Hinata was laughing. A quiet, demure giggle, perhaps, but still a laugh. A small daisy chain dangled over her left eye. Hanabi stood just slightly apart with a small smile on her face, apparently amused by her sister's mirth. With a small shrug, she accepted the second chain her sister offered and placed it on her head, looking slightly self-conscious as she did so. Hinata began to giggle again.

Hiashi made no sound to indicate his presence. His daughters affairs were not, perhaps, any of his business, but he felt a strange compulsion to watch. In a house of all-seeing eyes, private moments were rare. And it struck him he had not seen his children like this in some time.

He did not often see them relaxed. He did not often see them… happy.

Happiness was not a part of their world. The ninja life was hard. It was hard to anyone foolish enough to enter it, but it was especially hard to those unfortunate enough to be born into it. And to kuniochi, especially those who yearned for peace and beauty, it was hardest of all.

Hiashi knew this. He had always known it. It had been one of the great sorrows of his life that he had brought daughters into this world instead of sons. Sons, perhaps, would have been better prepared for such a life. Yet he had brought forth daughters, and so he tried to prepare them for the harsh world of the ninja. He tried to harden them, so that they would not be shattered by the world.

Hanabi would do well. Hiashi did not mean to be a partial father, but even he could not deny he treated Hanabi with especial fondness. But this was because he could see Hanabi was well-suited for the life of a ninja. He need not worry about hardening her. The world would not break her.

Hinata, though, was not so ready.

Hinata was too soft. Too gentle. Too full of secret longings after things that had no place in the ninja world. He had tried to prepare her, tried to harden her for the life he knew she must face. Yet he had failed, and he knew why.

Hinata was not made to be a ninja. She had neither the stomach nor the desire for it.

Yet she had been unfortunate enough to be born into it. Even worse, to be born into a part of it where service was so necessary. Hiashi could not deprive the village of a key weapon in its struggles simply because the wielder did not feel like using it. Nor would he wish to. The power of the Byakugan gave a responsibility to the Hyuuga clan. Those born into it were given a great gift, true, but because of that they were all the more bound to use and develop that gift.

He was cruel to Hinata at times, he knew. Partly, it was because he did not think Hinata fully appreciated this responsibility. Partly, it was because he felt she was not ready for the harshness of ninja life, and therefore tried to prepare her for it.

But mostly, he reflected as he looked down into the garden at his laughing children, mostly it was because when he looked at Hinata, he saw his dead wife. And try as he might, he could not overcome the pain of that memory. He could not stand to be around Hinata, because everything about her reminded him of her mother.

Especially her laugh.


	8. Growing Saplings

**Growing Saplings**

* * *

It was Neji's watch. Actually, it had been Neji's watch for most of the night now. But the term didn't really apply because half of the team wasn't even asleep.

"Lee, the concept of a watch is that one watches while the others sleep." Neji glared at the chunin. "I am watching, so you are to sleep. That is the way the system works."

"Aha, you are tricky, eternal rival, but it will not work with me!" Smiling, Lee glared confidently back. "I am determined to stay up TWICE as long as you, and if I do not, I will run four thousand laps around Konoha!"

"Lee, I'm supposed to stay up half the night." Neji reasoned. "In order to stay up twice as long, you'll be up all night."

"Exactly!"

Neji sighed and gave it up. Absentmindedly he studied a spider on a plant 200 feet behind his head. A very quiet night, really. He doubted they would be attacked, really, that fight with the strange shark-man had obviously been to delay them, and there were only so many people Akatsuki could spare to attack them in the first place. Still, he did not intend to take any chances.

Lee broke the silence this once. "Neji, do you suppose Naruto's team was attacked also?"

Neji had not really thought about it, but after a second he nodded. "They must be closer than us to the target. I'm certain they were attacked. Don't worry, though."

"I am most certainly NOT worried!" Lee tilted his head triumphantly. "They have Naruto and Sakura-san and Gai-sensei's eternal rival Hatake Kakashi! They would not be defeated!"

"Heh." Neji grinned a little. "I guess not. Sakura's gotten pretty tough, that's for sure. And Naruto… I can't think he's gotten any softer with time."

Lee nearly bounced with agreement. "Most certainly! I am most anxious to see Naruto-san again so I may compare his progress with my own! He may have grown, but so have we!"

"Hmph." The remark seemed to bother Neji for some reason. "You think we've grown?"

"But of course!" Surprised, Lee glanced at his rival. "We have gained much since he left. Surely you do not doubt that, Neji-san. After all, we are all chunin now, and you are a jounin!"

Neji did not answer for a moment, simply staring at the flames.

"Do you not agree?" Lee arched a considerable eyebrow.

"I don't know." Came the response. "Most of the time… yes, I feel like I've come so far since those days when we first took the chunin exam. But then…" he sighed. "Something like today happens. I fight for maybe ten minutes, and then I get trapped in a giant bubble for the rest of the fight. All I can do is wait for Gai-sensei to rescue me." He kicked at a little earth and watched it scatter into the fire. "Times like that... I feel like I haven't improved at all. Like I'm still some pitiful kid whining about fate."

Lee did not say anything. He simply sat back and looked at Neji.

"Yes, the man was Akatsuki. International criminal, probably far beyond any of our levels. But that didn't stop Gai-sensei and it shouldn't have stopped me." Neji glanced away, annoyed. "Like you said, I'm a jounin. I should be able to take care of these things on my own. I shouldn't need a teacher to follow me around and take care of me when I screw things up like that."

Lee still didn't say anything.

"I just… Bah." Neji stopped suddenly, apparently embarrassed and angry at having given away so much. For a long moment the two of them sat and stared at the fire. Lee made no move to return to his bedroll, and Neji made no more suggestions about Lee doing so.

Finally Lee broke the silence. "If it were not for such moments," he said somberly, "we would soon lose the desire to improve ourselves."

"What on earth is that supposed to mean?" Neji glared at him, irritated that the subject had been brought up again.

"If you did not occasionally fall, my rival, you would never learn to pick yourself up!" Lee answered. "I too, am not proud of my performance in this last battle, but beyond it I see the opportunity it presents to improve myself so that I will not be caught in such a trap again!"

"Oh? And how do you intend to 'improve yourself' after something like this?" Neji idly flicked a stick at the fire. "Learn the backstroke?"

"I shall run three thousand laps around Konoha!" Lee stated proudly. "I will build up my speed and agility so that I shall be better able to avoid such a water prison again! And I shall practice underwater exercises so that I can learn how to move within such a prison! And…"

"Yeah, okay." Neji held up a hand. "I get it. You'll train. So what difference does that make? You're ALWAYS training."

"Ah, but now I shall have a reason to do so!"

"Since when have you needed a reason?"

"I always have a reason!" Lee tilted his chin up defiantly. "If I did not have a reason to train, I could not do it with such youthful passion! "

Rolling his eyes, Neji asked. "And what reason is that?"

"To defeat you, my eternal rival!"

The statement froze Neji in the act of preparing another stick for the fire. He studied his fellow shinobi, a curious expression on his face. Finally he opened his mouth. "That's the reason you're training all the time? In order to defeat me?"

"Yosh!"

"Heh." Neji sat back up and leaned against the tree. "So what would happen if you actually DID beat me?"

Lee blinked, apparently confused. "I would offer you a rematch."

"Well, yes, but…" Neji closed his eyes. "Suppose, for the sake of argument, that you actually managed to gain a key edge over me and defeated me time after time after time. Would you stop training?"

"Of course not!" Lee looked as if Neji had suggested he give up eating.

"Well then what you be training for?"

Lee considered a moment. "I would be training to defeat Naruto Uzumaki. And you."

"I just told you. We're assuming that you would always beat me. You don't have to train for that anymore."

"Ah, you are tricky, my eternal rival!" Lee arched a triumphant eyebrow. "I know that you would never remain behind for long!"

Neji closed his eyes. "And what makes you so sure of that!"

"Because!" Holding up a finger, Lee stated earnestly: "You would never be content to remain behind, you too would be constantly training! You have the undying passion, the will of fire in you! "

"Again, what makes you so sure?"

Lee looked at him as if he were crazy. "If you did not, I would have never chosen you as an eternal rival. You would not have been worthy."

Neji opened his eyes and glanced over the fire at Lee, his brow furrowed in suspicion. Lee's open honest face gazed back at him, no hint of sarcasm or mockery upon it. For a moment the two simply sat there, looking at each other.

Finally Neji gave his head a small shake. "Lee, you'd better get some sleep."

"Aha! Very tricky, eternal rival!"

"Lee, I'm on watch, the idea is that I stay awake while you sleep."

"I am determined to stay up twice as long as you!"

"But I'm supposed to stay up half the night! In order to…"

"Exactly!"

Neji sighed and gave it up.

* * *

**A/N:**I said earlier Gai was one of my favorite characters. Lee is another. And it's REALLY a pity they don't do more with the rivalry between him and Neji, because I really think it could be cool. I wanted a shot between the two of them, and this was the best moment I could think of to put one in.

Have I mentioned how much I love reviews? Reviews are some pretty seriously awesome things. Alerts are fun, and Faves are cool too, but reviews... hey, reviews are SWEET. They give me an actual tangible person to hear from instead of a statistic.

So. Review.


	9. Evergreen

**Evergreen**

* * *

**  
**

"He's still the same, sir." Said the figure at the entrance.

The white-masked man behind the desk, just barely visible in the dim light of the room, groaned. "Boar, you know we don't have time for this. If Yin doesn't want to stay in ANBU, that's just too bad for him. We're stretched too thin for people to be taking extended leaves right now."

"Yes, captain, but the Godaime…"

"The Godaime knows as well as I that we can spare no men." Said the man, reaching under his white cloak for something. "We have doctors for this sort of thing. I can maybe assign one of the veterans to speak with him on the matter, but no more."

The ANBU at the door shifted his feet uneasily. "…the Godaime specifically requested you take some time to deal with it, sir." He said. "She said to tell you that it's better if the man's heart be in his work, and that you might be able to understand him better than the others, since you were at the scene with him."

Another annoyed groan broke from the captain. The rookie, unsure of how to react, simply stood there as his commander thought.

Finally the mask gave a weary nod. "Alright. Tell her I'll deal with it on my lunch hour." He turned back to his paperwork. "…haven't eaten lunch for the last week or so, why start now?"

The ANBU at the door bowed and disappeared.

* * *

A few ANBU soldiers saluted him as they passed him on his way to the barracks. He gave them a cursory acknowledgement and moved on, marching through the darkened hallway in long, clipped strides. He did NOT have time for this sort of thing and wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

If this had been in the old days, under the Sandaime or even the Yondaime, he could have simply forced Yin off to a mission and had him work off his steam there. But no, the new Hokage was a WOMAN, and felt that even hardened ANBU agents needed a bottle and burp when they got all whiny like this. So annoying. The captain hid a grimace as he passed the two guards by the barracks entrance. What things had come to in this village…

Here it was. He stopped outside the door, knocked twice, and, without waiting for an answer, swung the door open. He was an ANBU captain, after all, he didn't exactly need permission to enter a mere operative's quarters.

A dark-haired man glanced up as he entered and sprang to his feet. "Captain-sama!" He gasped, saluting. "I… I was only..."

"At ease." The captain gave an irritable wave of his hand. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. "What's all this nonsense about you trying to leave the ANBU?"

The man shifted uncomfortably. He, unlike the captain, was not wearing his mask, so it was quite easy to read the conflicting emotions that sped across his face. "I never said I wanted to leave the ANBU, sir…"

"No, you just said you wanted extended leave during one of the roughest times Konoha has ever had." Growled the captain. "Administrative equivalent of taking a lunch break in a battle, Yin. None of us can spare the time for a day off, what makes you think you deserve a week?"

"I… I don't know that I deserve it sir, I just…" The man glanced down at the floor. "I just… I don't know if I can keep on with the work right now… the way things are…"

"The way things are." The captain repeated. "The way things are. As in, the way half the village is destroyed and greatly weakened? The way Konoha's military reputation is on the verge of collapse? The way that we're so pressed for men right now, we're sending _genins_ out on C-rank missions? Is that what you're talking about, Yin?" The captain's voice was low and even. "Now, call it just me, but the way things are, I don't see how you can NOT keep on."

There was silence for a moment, then Yin whispered. "Yes sir. I'm sorry."

That should have been it. Very simple, really, the boy had wanted some time off and now he knew he couldn't. Problem solved. And if Captain Neko had been at all in his right mind, he would've left it there.

But as much as the Captain WANTED to leave it there, he knew he couldn't. Because there was a dosh-garned WOMAN in the head office, and goodness knew if he tried to leave it there, she'd come back and make him pay for doing it.

So, with a sigh against whatever deity up there hated him, Captain Neko walked over and sat down. "It's because of the Third, isn't it?" He asked flatly.

Yin looked up at him, astonished. The captain rolled his eyes, fully aware that Yin could not see him. "It's not a big secret, kid. You're forgetting I was there with you at the stadium the whole time. If you don't think I can't tell when one of my men gets worked up like that…" The captain shook his head. "You've been off your game ever since the Suna invasion, Yin, and it's time we got this sorted out." Plus the Godaime would never let off until they did. "I'm right, aren't I? It's the Third?"

"It… " Yin struggled for a moment. "It… no. It's not the Third."

Captain Neko was suddenly interested. "No?"

"Or… I mean, it is, but not… not the Third dying, really." Yin sighed. "It's more… more about what he DID."

Only hardened years of suppressing his emotions kept Captain Neko from groaning. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Did you hear… hear what they said?" Yin glanced up at him, and Captain Neko _really _hoped those weren't tears glistening in his eyes. "About how the Sandaime defeated them? They said he must've used the…"

"Dead Demon Consuming Seal." Responded Captain Neko, his voice dead. "Seals the user's soul along with the victim's within the Death God's stomach. Those sealed can never go to heaven or to hell. I was there, Yin. I saw him using it."

"To be sealed in some kinda…," Yin made a shivering gulp, "some kinda… limbo is just… I mean, to never know peace, to just keep on fighting, after all… after all he did… It's just… it's…"

"It's necessary." Neko interrupted harshly. Although he now understood a little better what the matter was, that didn't mean he had any more time to deal with it. "The Third was a great and wise man, but he understood as no one else did the importance of sacrifice. He knew what was at stake, and what he had to do." Captain Neko sighed a moment. "It doesn't seem fair, but that's the way it is. We can't mourn the Third any more than…"

"I told you, this isn't about the Third!" Yin shouted back. "It's about the First and Second!"

The First and…

Oh.

Oh.

Yin continued, heedless of his commander's comprehension. "Sarutobi-sama I can understand. It doesn't seem fair, after all he did for the village, but he made his choice."

"But the Shodai, and the… and the Nidaime, I… why?" Shaking his head, Yin looked down at the floor. "Why? They never asked for that! The two… greatest ninja in their day, they risked everything for the village, for peace, for stability. And both of them died honorably, as worthy shinobi."

"But then that… that THING brought them back… brought them back to kill and ravage and pretty much destroy everything that they worked for in their entire lives!" Yin clenched his fists. "He made the Shodai try to destroy the same village he created! And the Nidaime… he was the one who came up with idea of Chunin exams!"

"And… and…" A gulping sigh escaped Yin and his hands slumped. "And after all that… all that… they get sealed away in the death god's stomach. Not out of any sacrifice of their own, or because of any choice they made… no. They get sealed away to protect the village. From THEMSELVES."

A short silence followed this remark. Captain Neko simply sat back and watched him.

Finally Yin stirred and looked up. "You know that other thing that Lord Jiraiya said? About how the true measure of a ninja is how they die?" At a short nod from his captain, he continued. "The Shodai and the Nidaime died as enemies of the village."

"No one will remember them in that way." Captain Neko responded shortly. "What Orochimaru did to them does not change what they did to this village."

Yin shot him a dark glance. "Does it matter? They will remember themselves that way, if they can think. If what Lord Jiraiya said was correct, they will spend eternity fighting Sarutobi-sama, remembering that they died attacking the very village they built."

Captain Neko really did not have anything to say to that.

"I always admired the Nidaime, you know." Continued Yin, staring at his hands. "Sure, everybody knows how great the Shodai was, and Sarutobi-sama was the greatest shinobi that ever lived, I can attest to that myself. But the Nidaime… he had to solidify everything that the Shodai worked for. The whole village thing could've died with the Shodai if the Nidaime hadn't been there to carry it on. He came up with so many of the laws and rituals that define the relations between villages. And he didn't have the Shodai's Mokuton powers or the ability to control the Bijuu. He just had himself. He always…" Yin made a small swallowing sound. "He always was a model for me."

Part of the reason for that, Captain Neko noted just a touch cynically, was probably the fact that Yin was a Water type as the Nidaime had been.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Yin continued on, his voice taking a slightly bitter turn. "And now to see… to see him turned against the things he made… to see him rewarded with an inglorious death for his service… to see him and his brother both banished to some limbo-dimension, through no doing of their own… It just…" Yin threw his hands up in the air savagely. "It just seems so wrong! So pointless! It's like it doesn't even matter what they did, because Orochimaru turned them against it at the end! And if that's… if that's what…" He paused a moment. "Why should I…" He groaned and let his hands fall. "I don't even know what I'm saying."

Again silence reigned over the dark little concrete room. Far away, Captain Neko heard the slam of a metal door and realized lunch break was almost over. He had to wrap this up.

But how? He could tell this man that even with Orochimaru's manipulating, the village the brothers had built still stood. He could tell him that even if they had destroyed it, the years under their rule would not have been for nothing. He could even tell him that both brothers had really founded the will of Fire, something that would go on no matter what happened to the village.

He could tell him to stop whining about it and get to work. That's what he _should_ tell him. That's what he _wanted_ to tell him.

But he couldn't. Not just because the Hokage was a woman and would make him suffer otherwise, but because that would be too easy. It would be ignoring everything the man had said and pretending it didn't matter.

And he couldn't tell Yin any of the other things either, for the exact same reason. They all sidestepped the terrible fact that two good men were in the death god's stomach and had done nothing worthy of being there.

So, with a sigh to remind himself how much he hated this, Captain Neko spoke up. "Listen." He said. "You do realize that all that stuff Lord Jiraiya was talking about… it's theoretical."

Yin slowly looked up. "What?"

"Well, I can't say it's WRONG." The captain shrugged. "After all, I'm no expert on seals or anything. But it's not like anybody's ever used that jutsu and come back to say what happened, so they can't be sure about any of what he said. It's just theory. The only thing they have to go on is seal contracts. In other words, they must have heard about it from some other demon they summoned."

"But… why would the seal—I mean the demon… why would they lie?"

"Ignoring the fact that demons are terrible liars, there's the spell's potency to be aware of." Captain Neko reminded the jounin. "If you were going to give a mortal that much power, wouldn't you want to tell him something that'd make him think twice about using it?"

Years of studying expressions enabled Neko to virtually see the wheels turning in Yin's head. Years of heightened senses enabled him to hear the tromping feet of other operatives returning to their quarters. It was time to wrap this up.

"Besides," he said, standing to his feet, "you should know that that 'impure resurrection' jutsu Orochimaru used isn't well understood either. The debate is still out whether it actually resurrects the person or just the appearance of that person." He shrugged down at Yin's upturned face. "Again, it's not something you can exactly test, particularly as it's a forbidden jutsu."

Yin's face gradually cleared. "So… there's really no way to know if Sarutobi-sama sealed away them into limbo, or even if he sealed them away at all, is there?"

"No." Captain Neko shook his head. "Now," he said, clapping Yin firmly on the shoulder, "we have work to do, don't we?"

Resolve bulwarked Yin's face. "Yes sir!"

"Good man. See me in my office at 1500 hours."

He never would have done that in the old days, Captain Neko reflected as he headed back to his paperwork-smothered office. He never would have had to. In fact, he probably would never even have worried about something like what Yin had brought up. None of the former Hokages would have considered it necessary.

But for some reason… he decided he liked it better this way.

Captain Neko dropped down into his desk and stared thoughtfully at the papers spilling over it. Maybe this woman Hokage wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

**A/N: **The Hokage battle in the Chunin exams always bothered me. I mean, I can somewhat understand the morality behind the Third's actions, I'm just confused by the overall morality of the Naruto universe in general. There is absolutely NO reason for the First and the Second to end If you think about it, Kabuto's great-grandson might just as well ressurect Naruto's corpse in the future and make Konohamaru condemn him to Limbo. Or even Sakura, or Hinata, or whoever. It doesn't really matter, the point is that even IS a heaven and a hell in the Naruto world (as Sarutobi suggests), they're pretty screwed up.

So. This is the explanation I thought of, and I decided to have the ANBU people who were there stress about it. Captain Neko's character just kinda grew out of that, I have to say I kinda like the crusty guy. I decided to have Yin worried about the Nidaime, because it seems like everybody's always talking about either the Sodaime or the Sandaime.

Anyway. Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated.


	10. Rustling Leaves

**Rustling Leaves**

**

* * *

**

"Name."

"H-Hyuuga Hinata."

"Rank."

"Chunin."

"Squad."

"T-team 8." Hinata swallowed.

"Team 8…" The ninja at the desk sorted through a collection of forms. "Team 6, Team 7, ah, here we are." Opening a folder, he reached in and took out a wad of papers. "There. Fill out these forms and return them to the desk, then report to orientation room B12." He gave the girl a short nod and turned. "Next?"

"Hey." The person just behind Hinata bumped her forward as he moved to the desk.

"Name."

"Inuzuka Kiba…"

Hinata left the voices behind her as she headed over to the desks lining the walls of the enormous room. Clutching the papers to her chest, she scanned the seats for someone she knew. There. Sakura. Hurrying over, she slid into the adjoining desk. "Mind if I sit here?"

Sakura glanced up, apparently startled from her perusal of the document. "Huh? Oh. Oh, sure. Help yourself." Immediately she returned her gaze to the paper.

Somewhat disappointed by her classmate's non-reaction, Hinata took out her papers and placed them on the desk. Her eyes ran over the lines without really reading them, instead just taking in the overall effect. Very official. Very plain. Very ordinary. The usual questions about name, rank, serial number, squad, former missions, and current assignment. A few new entries about living wills, disposal of remains and next of kin. All so many bits of life inked out in black and white.

With a sigh, Hinata moved to fill it out only to realize she'd forgotten something. "Where are the pens?" she whispered frantically to Sakura.

"Table over there, next to the rice cakes and water," answered Sakura without looking up.

Hinata jogged up, grabbed a pen and a tasteless rice cake, and returned to her seat. Somehow, in the interim, Ino had arrived. She gave Hinata a nervous grin. "Hey, Hina."

"Ino-san." Hinata gave a little bow as she sat back down. "Are Shikamaru and Chouji here too?"

"I don't know. I think so," replied Ino, casting a look around the room. "We sorta got separated in the crowd."

"I haven't seen Shino yet either."

"He'll probably be coming with the other Aburame." Ino shivered slightly. "I wish they'd heat this room up. It's cold in here."

"It is." Hinata agreed, shivering herself. Odd, considering she was wearing a full hooded sweatshirt as opposed to Ino's tanktop and shorts, but nonetheless, she felt the chill also. It filled the air, permeated the look, leapt from the hard lines on the sheet before her. Everything had the same cold feel to it.

For a moment or so the two kunoichi sat, staring across the room and the hundred or so ninja clustered within. They entered the atrium in several long lines leading to some desks, where they scattered to the innumerable desks throughout the room. As they watched, Sakura got up, nodded to them, and jogged over to the desk to turn in her paper.

"So." Ino swallowed. "War."

Hinata nodded ever so slightly, staring out across the room of pencil-scratching ninjas. "It's a lot… different than what I thought it'd be. Right now, I mean."

"Yeah."

"I guess it'll be… it'll probably change."

"Sure."

"But it just…" Hinata shook her head. "There're so _many_ of them."

Hinata had no memory of Orochimaru's attack on the village. She'd been unconscious throughout the whole. Pein's attack, in contrast, was burned vividly into her mind, but more as a confused jumble of dust, noise, and blood, not as a mass struggle of hundreds of ninjas. She hadn't seen this many ninjas in one place since the Hokage's funeral, and all of them were here for the same purpose, preparing to fight in the same battle. The sheer enormity of it all was a bit much for the Hyuuga heiress to absorb.

"Anyway, I'd better get started." Ino bent over the desk.

"Y-yes, of course." Pulling free of her own musings, Hinata returned to the form before her. Most of them were answers she could rattle off by heart, although, as always, she hesitated slightly over the "next of kin" section before putting down her father. Simply reading through the new sections gave her the chills all over again, but she filled them out anyway. Finished, she stood from the desk and walked over to the desk.

"Good." The ninja looked over her paperwork, pointed out a few answers she had missed, and then ripped the back off it. "Here's a copy for you to keep in your records." He intoned. "In the meantime, collect your new gear and orders from orientation room B12."

Unsure of where the orientation rooms were and what to do with the 'copy' until she got home, Hinata hurried off. She caught sight of Chouji and jogged after him, hoping he knew more than she. As she caught up to him, he offered her a nod. "What room?"

"B12." she panted.

"Oh. I'm in A3. Yours is probably on the second level."

Hinata almost stopped. "We're not in the same orientation room?" For some stupid reason she had expected all the Rookie 11 to go through things together.

"Apparently not." Chouji cast a rueful glance back at her. "Shikamaru figured they'd probably break up teams in favor of new, more specialized categories. We probably won't even be with our teams, he said." Looking down at the copy in his hand, he added mournfully, "I just hope I'm with him."

Hinata's mind was working on her own ideal team. "Have… have you seen Naruto-kun?"

Chouji gave her an odd look. "You know he's out on a mission, right?"

"Y-yes." Hinata ducked her head. "B-but… I just thought… it's war and everything… I was hoping he'd…"

Chouji's shoulders sagged. "Yeah. I wish he was here too. Everything here is so darn depressing." He grinned suddenly. "He'd cheer this place up."

"I kn-know."

"Well, here's my room." Chouji stopped just outside the door. "Good luck in…"

"Couji." A cough came from the inside. "About time you showed up. This was getting troublesome."

"Alright! Shikamaru!" Chouji grabbed his friend in a bearhug.

"Good to see you too," grunted the other. "You're a little late, they were about to start without you." He nodded to Hinata. "Hey."

"H-hello Shikamaru-san." Hinata bowed slightly. "I-I'm looking for room B12."

"B12? That makes sense, they would be the close-range fighters. Neji's probably there, they have lots of Hyuuga. I think Genma is in charge of the orientation."

"I-is… Is Naruto-kun there?"

Shikamaru let out a little amused snort. "Doubt it. He's not exactly a close-range type." Pointing, he explained, "The stairs are over there. Go up one level and turn left, you should find the room without too much trouble."

"Thank you, Shikamaru-san." Hinata gave another short bow and then hurried off.

She followed the directions without too much difficulty, and a few moments later she pushed open the 'B12' door. A few unfamiliar faces glanced up as she entered before returning to their various tasks, but otherwise the crowd of bustling ninjas ignored her. Hinata pushed her way to a rather stressed-looking Genma.

"Hey." He greeted her. "Name?"

Hinata blinked—surely Genma knew her—but responded nearly automatically. "Hyuuga Hinata."

"Right," nodded the jounin, scanning over the list of names. "Hyuuga Hidari, Hyuuga Hifuru, Hyuuga Hishiro… ah, here we are." He picked up a set of papers. "Here's your information packet…" Turning, he sorted through the pile of boxes behind him and picked one out. "...and here's your gear. Get suited up behind the curtains over there and then head back here so the aides can tell you how to get acquainted with it."

Swallowing, Hinata hurriedly stuffed the information packet into the side of the box and headed over to the curtains. Several girls were already changing behind there, in various states of undress. Some were Branch Family Hyuuga, and they gave her a little bow as she entered. Hinata returned it as quickly as possible.

Since the whole incident with Pein, the Branch family members had been treating her in a whole new manner, as if they had suddenly remembered that she was still the clan heiress. Ko and Neji had reached a whole new level of protectiveness, but most of the others seemed almost to be in awe of her. Why, she couldn't say, it wasn't like she had even DONE anything incredible against Pein. Anybody could have charged in there and died, she just happened to be the only one stupid or selfish enough to.

Which, of course, fueled the inevitable gossip. Hinata didn't even have to be a ninja to know what the servants must be saying.

All the attention rather flustered her. Hinata had never been really prepared for her role as heiress, partly because most had expected Hiashi to appoint Hanabi in that station. Raised in the academy and trained on missions, she'd never been treated as anyone particularly special, and the sudden recognition of her status in the clan was not exactly welcome. Already she longed for as well as dreaded the return of her father to Konoha.

Still, she couldn't spare time to think of that now. Quickly she stripped off her sweatshirt and pulled off her jeans, kicking them toward the box. It felt very bizarre to be doing this alongside the other girls (in a room of Hyuugas, no less), but she had done stranger things before. Hastily she donned the loose black jumpsuit found in the box and strapped the utility belt around it.

And then there was the vest.

She suppressed a shiver as she zipped the vest up. This was the flak vest nearly all the adults wore, not just the jounins, but most of the chunins also. None of her classmates (with the exception of Shikamaru and Lee) had ever bothered with the things before, instead opting for more comfortable, individual costumes. She wore her sweatshirt because she liked it, Kiba wore his leather jacket because he thought it looked cool, and Shino wore his coat because, well, he was Shino.

Not so with the vest. It was professional, strictly utilitarian gear, meant for combat and nothing more. The padding absorbed shocks and deflected knives, the pockets contained all manner of equipment (Hinata could hear the mysterious contents jingling), and the color identified friend from foe. In the sense, these vests marked everyone who had fought in the last Great Ninja War, the last time these sort of things had been mandatory. Now they would mark the soldiers of this one.

The vests were a sign of adulthood. A sign of war.

Hinata hurried out from behind the curtains and presented herself, wondering who the 'aides' who were supposed to help her were.

"Hinata-sama." Glancing up, Hinata met Neji's calm gaze. "You are here too, then?"

Hinata gave a short bow. "Yes, Neji-nii-san."

"Hmph." Neji seemed about to say something but thought better of it. "Your vest is not adjusted correctly." He said, reaching over to tighten the straps. "Make sure to look after it, each ninja's vest is uniquely fitted to them."

"Yes, Neji-nii-san."

"Smoke pellets are in the right side pocket, substitution packets in the front." He pointed. "Kunai are to be stored on the belt and on the left center pouches, over the heart. Any extras must be kept in your miscellaneous areas."

"M-miscellaneous…?"

"Left side pocket, large right pouch on belt. Use them to carry whatever else you feel you need." Neji finished adjusting the vest and looked straight at her. "There's a great many soldier pills in the right center pouch—they give the Hyuuga an abnormal amount. Also… you've received medical training?"

Hinata gave a short nod.

Nodding back, Neji added, "You should have a standardized kit in your box of gear. It's to be attached to the left side of your belt. Be sure to tie the armband around your upper arm too, so you're distinguishable in combat. Try to keep all these items in their set locations so that other ninja can take supplies off you." Unspoken came the implication, 'your dead corpse.' "However, if you find it's interfering with your technique, switch them as you see fit."

"Y-yes, Neji-nii-san."

"Good." Neji looked at her for a long moment before adding, in a quieter tone, "Did you explain to the recruiter the situation with the Hyuuga?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes."

"And?" Neji pressed her.

"He said Father will be back long before the army leaves, and that clan leadership will not be an issue." Chewing her lip, Hinata added, after a moment, "He did say they would try not to place me in a dangerous role."

Neji snorted at that. "What are you doing in close-range fighters, then, I wonder." He muttered. "Well. Nothing to do about it now. Have you looked through your information packet?"

"Not yet," admitted Hinata.

Neji's brow tensed ever so slightly as he leaned forward. "Division 2—that's us—will be led by Kitsuchi of Iwa." His mutter was low and angry. "He's the son of the Shodai Tsuchikage, and we'll be working alongside his daughter, Kurotsuchi."

Unsure of exactly what to say, Hinata simply waited. Iwa and Konoha relations had always been strained at best.

"There's more," continued Neji. "There are also a number of… KUMO shinobi in our division."

Hinata closed her eyes. None of the Hyuuga had fond memories of the ninjas of Cloud, least of all Neji. On some level, she supposed she should share their animosity, but she remembered so little of her own kidnapping and the drama surrounding it that she found it difficult to connect.

"We have a mission, Neji." She answered. "That has to come first."

The fire in Neji's eyes cooled. "Yes." He nodded slowly. "Yes, you are… you are right."

"The Hokage has agreed to the alliance. There's nothing more we can do."

"True," sighed Neji, leaning back. "We will have to do what we must. After all, this is war."

"Yes." Nodding, Hinata shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the flak vest. "Yes it is."

* * *

**A/N:** To those who are following "Connecting the Dots" and wonder what the heck I'm doing working on other stories, I must apologize. Naruto 515 was too awesome NOT to have a story written about it, and I haven't done anything on this "Leaves of Konoha" story for a while. The next chapter to "Connecting the Dots IS being worked on, I promise, and I may even have it up by next week. No promises, though.

To everyone else, this may seem an odd piece to write about the start of the Ninja World War, but it's actually a part that really fascinates me. Before 515, I was actually going to do a one-shot sometime about the veterans complaining about the outlandish costumes all the rookies wear. Now I don't have to, because the rookies are getting serious. And I just wondered what it would be like for all these younger ninjas, who've never done real combat, to suddenly be faced with the idea of how serious everything is.


End file.
